Red Light Cameras - How It Works/Locations

City of Yonkers Red Light Camera Safety Program

How it Works

Red Light Traffic Safety Cameras have been in effect for more than 20 years in the State of New York. New York City was the first city to be given the right to issue traffic tickets for going through a red light by using camera technology. The legislation for using Red Light Cameras (RLC) is different in New York than it is in other states. In New York, the RLC ticket is handled much like a parking ticket. It is issued to the registered owner of the vehicle, there are no points against the owner’s license and it is returnable to a Parking Violations Bureau or other Bureau which handles parking violations for the municipality or county.

In 2009, new State legislation was enacted authorizing a number of municipalities, along with Nassau and Suffolk Counties, to begin a RLC Traffic Safety Program. At this time Yonkers, is authorized to install red light cameras at 25 intersections within the City. The first red light camera in Yonkers became operational on October 1, 2010. NYS legislation, §1111-b of the Vehicle and Traffic Law, details the NYS Red Light Camera Violation law. Local Yonkers legislation regarding RLC violations is City Code §109-45. Effective July 1, 2017, the Yonkers City Code is amended to include a $15 Public Safety Fee on all RLC violations. The total fine amount is $65 due within 30 days of the issuance of the Notice of Liability and the late penalty is $25.

In Yonkers, the installation of the cameras includes sensors built into the roadway well before the stop line which determine how fast a vehicle is going and calculates whether the vehicle can stop whenit gets to the stop line and before the light turns red. If the program calculates that a vehicle cannot stop in time, then it takes a picture once the vehicle has passed over the sensors, the vehicle is at the stop line and the light is red. It then takes a second picture approximately two seconds later when the vehicle is within the intersection. At the same time a 24 hour video is recording the intersection. Videos are not required by law, only the photo images are required. Videos are required for right turn on red without stopping to ensure that the vehicle did not actually stop. Cameras are well back from the stop line in order to capture the rear of the vehicle and the intersection. The pictures taken are initially termed “events”. The events are reviewed to ensure a violation has actually taken place. If it has, the video, through an automated process is cropped to 12 seconds for each violation to show the vehicle in question approaching the intersection, passing the stop line and going through the intersection. Next a request is made to the appropriate State DMV and the vehicle information as well as the registered owner’s information is attached to the pictures. This information is reviewed to make sure the vehicle information matches the plate and the vehicle in the pictures. If everything matches, the images are made available to the City of Yonkers, and a City employee reviews the still photographs and the video and checks that the plate and vehicle information matches the pictures. If the vehicle has indeed passed over the stop line when the light was red, and passes into the intersection impeding the cross lane of traffic or continues through the intersection, the employee approves the violation.

A notice of violation called a NOTICE OF LIABILITY is sent to the registered owner which states the date, time and location of the violation, the camera ID number, the fine amount, and information on paying or requesting a hearing. Included on the notice are three pictures. One is a close up of the rear of the vehicle and the license plate. The second shows the vehicle at the stop line and the traffic signal is in the red phase. The third picture shows the vehicle going through the intersection. Along the top of two of the pictures are headings: DATE TIME AMBER SPEED PHASE RTIME LANE FRAME.

Below DATE is the date of the violation. Below TIME is the time in hours, minutes and seconds with an AM or PM indicator. Below AMBER is the length of time of the amber or yellow light phase at that intersection. If the speed limit on the street is 30 mph, then it is a minimum 3 second yellow light; if it is 40 mph then it is a minimum 4 second yellow light. Below SPEED is the speed the vehicle is traveling at when it passes over the sensors in the roadway. Below PHASE is the phase the light is in at the time of the photograph: R equals red light. Below RTIME is the time in seconds and parts of seconds the light has been red in the picture. Below LANE is the lane the vehicle is in. Lane 1 is the lane immediately to the right of the center or double yellow line; lane 2 is the lane immediately to the right of lane 1; lane 3 is the lane immediately to the right of lane 2 and so on over to the curb. Below FRAME is the letter A or B. Frame A is the first picture – the one with the vehicle at the stop line. Frame B is the second picture – the one with the vehicle within the intersection.

Pictures are not taken unless a vehicle crosses the stop line when the light is already in the Red Phase. Anyone who stops before entering the cross lane of traffic, even if they have traveled past the stop line, will not receive a violation as long as they are not impeding traffic. If the vehicle has gone over the stop line, the crosswalk and is in the cross lane and impeding traffic, a ticket will be issued. Violations are not issued to anyone who has passed the stop line on the green or yellow phase and then had to stop in the intersection due to traffic.

You must move your vehicle out of the way for emergency vehicles as per NYS law. If you do and there is a red light camera at the intersection, you will NOT receive a violation if you had to move through the red light to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle. You will NOT receive a violation if a Police Officer or flagman waves you through an intersection with a red light camera. If you receive a red light camera violation in the mail after receiving a Moving Violation from a Police Officer for the same red light at the same time, the red light camera ticket will be dismissed once you send in a copy of the moving violation.

We recommend everyone view their video online at www.violationinfo.com. You will need the Notice number and PIN number from the top right corner of the NOTICE OF LIABILITY you received in the mail. Videos are not required by law, but when available it can show exactly what transpired. The still pictures are also available online and are larger than the ones on the Notice of Liability.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT A RED LIGHT MEANS STOP.

IF THERE IS NO SIGN PROHIBITING MAKING A RIGHT TURN ON RED, YOU MUST FIRST COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, CHECKING FOR PEDESTRIANS OR VEHICLES WITH THE RIGHT OF WAY, BEFORE TURNING RIGHT ON RED.